Reviews

All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay

dejahentendu's review against another edition

4.0

Lovely, as always. But not my favorite of his books. Don't start Kay's books with this one, as it builds heavily on other books set in the middle sea.

carmenelyse's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.75

justmango's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

artwinsintheend's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

justabean_reads's review

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Penultimate Canada Reads 2023 book. I haven't read Kay since The Lions of Al-Rassan, which I read something like twenty years ago, and remember only vaguely, so wasn't sure what to expect. This is set in the same fictionalised and occasionally-magical version of European history, though a few hundred years later. It's the second in a series, the first of which I hadn't read, but I mostly was able to keep up with all the characters and city states. I think if I wasn't reasonably familiar with that period of regular history, I would've been pretty lost, though.

This book is set in 15th/16th-century made-up North Africa and Italy (primarily), and centres on a pair of merchant/smugglers/occasional corsairs who get caught up in Politics after agreeing to assassinate the Caliph of made-up Oran (probably). There either isn't a whole lot of plot in that we then just follow them around the Middle Sea having episodic adventures as the made-up Pope plots to sack made-up Algiers, or there is a lot of plot, as Politics persist in happening, and we learn a about who's at war with/peace with/plotting to assassinate whom, whether we want to or not. Other than one (1) magical element relevant to the plot, I'm not completely sure why this isn't just set in regular history.

However, I did really enjoy the characters, especially the ex-slave and very stabby heroine who's trying to figure out where she fits in the world, and the terrifying warlord Duke who knows how to make an entrance. I also liked that the book kept following minor characters off on tangents, which weren't always plot relevant, but did make the world feel more lived in. (That said, I think it could've lost about fifty pages of the narrator musing about the meaning of fate.) It was nice to have a queer protagonist, as well, though almost all of the queer secondary characters bit the dust pretty quickly. I also enjoyed the variety of female characters, rather than having an Only Girl situation with the heroine.

I'm not sure I'll seek out the rest of the series, but I did have a good time while I was here. 

cstange17's review

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

clarissa_joy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

yuck1209's review against another edition

4.0

Guy Gavriel Kay doing his thing. This didn't get me quite as emotional as other books of his have in the past, but still a meditative reflection on exile, home, and belonging. As always, lyrical prose and an appreciation for both the large sweeping historical characters/events and the small interpersonal relationships and exchanges at an individual level. 

ungoliant1234's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Kay always writes wonderfully, and while this does not reach the highs of A Brightness, it is not much inferior

bibliotequeish's review against another edition

2.0

This is a beautifully written book.
It simply was not for me.

This is described as a stand-alone book but I felt lost and have since learned that although this is a “stand-alone” it’s somehow also the last book in a trilogy?
Maybe I would have enjoyed it better had I read the other two. But on its own I didn’t enjoy it.